Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Securing more medical services in Spring Hill is a top priority for a city experiencing rapid development, said Mayor Michael Dinwiddie.

Maury Regional Medical Center has applied for a certificate of need to build a $7.9-million, multi-specialty, ambulatory surgery center located at the intersection of Saturn Parkway and Port Royal Road, south of Reserve Boulevard. The facility will be managed and staffed by Vanderbilt University Medical Center, but MRMC will retain ownership of the building.

“I think one of the things that Spring Hill needs most is good quality health care,” Dinwiddie said. “We have a population of about 30,000 people, and to be honest I can easily see that number doubling in the next five years.”

MRMC applied for the certificate of need on Nov. 14 for a facility which would have the capability to perform various types of surgeries in a single building.General Motors announced Monday that it will restart vehicle production in Spring Hill plant in 2012, which Dinwiddie said he expects will lead to more population growth in the area.

“If approved, gastroenterology, orthopedics, gynocology, EMT or any type of surgical procedures that are appropriate for the outpatient setting could be done in this facility,” said MRMC Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer H. Alan Watson.

Specifics about the center will be announced once approval is given by the state, Watson said. The Tennessee Health Services and Development Agency is scheduled to review the application in February 2012.

The Spring Hill Group City Planning Commission is set to consider plans for an Emergency Room at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 5 at city hall.

Last year HCA TriStar submitted plans for a two-story, 30,000-square-foot facility off Kedron Road near Saturn Parkway. New plans for a three-story, 50,796 square-foot building have been submitted by the medical company, according to The Tennessean.

The facility would include eight treatment rooms along with CT, X-ray, ultrasound, and laboratory areas.